


Past Tense

by skund



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-03
Updated: 2010-09-03
Packaged: 2017-10-11 10:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/111628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skund/pseuds/skund
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For [livejournal.com profile] arch_schatten's birthday prompt of Dick and Bruce, reunion. Some things have to be saved before they are even made. DC'verse, set sometime towards the end of The Return of Bruce Wayne</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past Tense

His father always said his mother’s eyes were radiant like the moon, but Dick had always thought her spangled costumes were equally luminous. She literally glittered as she moved around their tiny caravan; he would never get tired of watching the points of light dance across the walls like fireflies.

“Mary, it’s time!” his father’s voice, calling from outside. Dick jumped up and ran to the window, peering through the lace curtain.

Behind him his mother tutted, “back to your homework, mister.”

With a dramatic sigh the boy turned and climbed back into the booth-style dining area, table covered in workbooks and pencils. “But I wanna practice with you and Dad today!”

“Well, you should’ve finished your homework like I asked you to, huh?” At his dejected look Mary came over and dropped a kiss into Dick’s dark, unruly curls. “We can practice later this afternoon, after the rehearsal.”

Dick instantly beamed at her, blue eyes sparkling just like his mother’s. “You promise?”

“Absolutely,” she laughed, ruffling his hair and she turned to go. “As long as you’re good while we’re gone.” She smiled at his eager nods, then slipped out the door.

Dick stayed in his spot in front of his books for almost two whole minutes. Then he was up and out the door, racing across the dusty ground, weaving around caravans and people: people everywhere, deep in conversation, sharing steaming brews of coffee, or sitting on their front step mending brilliantly coloured shirts. Most of them greeted Dick by name as he raced past, and he waved or called a greeting in return. But he didn’t stop, his feet propelling him as fast as they could to the edge of the camp were a red and white caravan sat. Dick slowed as he approached until he ended up sneaking along the side on tip toe; an exaggerated sneak that only made him more obvious, but was twice as fun as actually sneaking. He reached the window, having to stand on tiptoe to peer inside. His friend Mark was sitting in an almost mirror image to Dick earlier - at the kitchen table surrounded by schoolwork. The only difference was that the sandy haired boy was actually working, tongue peeking out the side of this mouth as he scribbled away.

Dick rolled his eyes, and tapped insistently at the window. Mark looked up, breaking into a grin as he saw Dick. Then he flinched and looked to his right, and a moment later the window was filled with a very large and very angry looking woman. Dick gasped and jumped back just as she threw the window open and tried to lean out. “Don’t you go bothering my boy, Grayson! He’s had enough of your trouble.”

“But Mom!” Mark’s whine could be heard underneath his mother’s bellow.

But their words were in vain, as Dick’s fleet feet had already taken him around the corner of the next van and away. He was four alleys away before he stopped running, leaning against a trailer truck as laughter took his breath away. Voices approached and he instinctively ducked under the trailer, disappearing into its cool shade. But it was only Sarah walking with Mitch and Luka, two of the newer carnies, laughing and carrying on. Dick popped out of his hiding place just as they approached, but Sarah did little more than look at him before going back to her flirtatious conversation. Dick huffed. Sarah had been fun to play with up until a few years ago, when she started wearing dresses and getting into with her father’s stage makeup. Now she was just _boring_.

Dick took a deep breath, preparing a taunt on Sarah’s new choice of playmates when the light suddenly bled out of the world. All four turned their faces skyward. The sun had suddenly gone black, throwing the sky into a fiery haze and the world into twilight.

“What is it?” Luka gasped.

“I don’t know,” Sarah breathed, taking the opportunity to latch onto Luka’s arm.

“It’s like it’s gone night.” Dick chimed in, stepping closer to the group.

“It’s an eclipse, isn’t it?” Mitch asked. “A solar eclipse.”

“Aren’t they ‘sposed to warn us ‘bout stuff like this?” Luka growled.

“Yeah. I dunno. Bloody governments, what’re they good for?” Mitch replied.

Luka shrugged and gently disentangled himself from Sarah’s clutches. “Well, no harm done. It’ll go away soon, I s’pose.”

The trio continued along down the dusty alley between vans. Dick stayed staring up at the sky for minutes yet, until the shadow passed from the sun. The daylight then returned almost instantly, and with the show over he moved on. Dick ambled down the alley, kicking at piles of straw and ducking under lines of colourful washing. It wasn’t long before the hubbub of the camp started to die away and the crowds of people and caravans thinned out towards the edge of the camp, giving way to storage trucks and animal cages.

Dick waved to Bella the elephant as he passed but she didn’t pause in her perpetual sway, movement making her ankle chain jingle. He kept going, making sure to stay out of reach of the monkeys – he’d learned that lesson many times over. A new cage caught his eye, and he raced over to peek under the heavy tarpaulin covering the bars. His intrusion was met with a low growl and a huge paw pacing past. Dick’s eyes flew wide. Light was filtering in the top of the cage through the mesh, illuminating black stripes running through tawny fur. A long, ringed tail danced menacingly.

“We have a tiger? No way...” Dick whispered. The tiger growled again. Dick dropped the edge of the tarp and ran around to the side of the cage, clambering up the ladder on the side to stand on the cage’s top. Below the big cat was pacing around, like a very beautiful and very deadly fish in a bowl.

“Wow,” Dick repeated, crouching down to get a better look. The tiger didn’t seem so bothered by him being up here, and he was getting bolder. With a quick look to see if anyone was watching him, Dick crab walked over to a hatch set in the mesh roof. It was unlocked.

Perfect.

Nimble fingers took no time at all in releasing the latch, and the hatch was swung up and dropped against the top of the cage with a resounding crash. The tiger snarled, whipping around in its pace. Dick flinched and pressed himself flat to the cage, but no shouts filled the air. After a long moment of silence he peeled himself off the metal. No one was running towards him. Good.

He peeked his head over the gap, looking straight down. The unmarred space between him and the beautiful animal below was thrilling; his heart raced.

“Here, kitty, kitty,” he called quietly, then laughed at the tiger’s resulting rumble. “I’m sorry, that’s mean, you’re _way_ better than a kitty.” Dick was content to sit and watch the cat pace, watching the muscle slide under that liquid velvet coat. The patches of light the mesh allowed through reminded him of the points of light his mother’s costume threw around the big top, when the spotlight hit her at the start of his parent’s act. He was entranced, and time slipped by him completely.

Eventually he grew tired of watching the beast below, and moved to push himself up off the cage top. But in the meantime his folded arms had fallen numb and gave way under the sudden weight. Dick pitched forward with a sharp yell into the open hatchway, tumbling down to land on the straw below with a thud. Everything went dark.

He woke up with a groan a heartbeat later, and the answering growl made him freeze in place. The tiger was pacing still, large paws making the straw rustle ominously. Dick whimpered as he realised just how much trouble he’d gotten himself into this time, then couldn’t hold it any longer and broke into desperate, gasping sobs. The tiger was eyeing him with a great deal of interest. Dick slowly, cautiously, precariously, got his feet back under him, crouching low and tense. There’s no way he can make it back to the hatch above. No way he can scale the large bars. No way he can get out of this situation. And no way he can’t not try in spite of it.

Dick lunged towards the side of the cage, and he could already hear the tiger shift his weight behind him, going for the attack. Dick closed his eyes, reaching desperately for the bars. There was a loud thump behind him and then points of pressure digging into his back. Suddenly he was in the air, hoisted up by his shirt. He kept his eyes closed tight, face taught in a grimace.

“Climb!” A harsh voice barked below him and Dick was so startled he almost forgot himself. There was a sharp flash of light all around, then acrid smoke filling the small cage. The tiger roared in protest, but was driven away to the corner of the cage, to cower and snarl. Dick finally recognised the hard pressure against his back as a man’s fist and not raking claws or teeth.

“Climb!” The man repeats, and Dick doesn’t need to be told a third time. The edge of the hatch is just above his head, and he reached up and dragged himself out, collapsing onto the wire mesh with his chest heaving. The man followed him, jumping up and heaving himself out with both hands like a gymnast. He slammed the door down as soon as he was able, just seconds before the tiger’s claws raked along it ineffectually.

Dick flopped over onto his back, gasping up at the sky. The man sat down, eyeing Dick with concern.

“Are you okay?” The man’s voice was rough and slightly hesitant, like he doesn’t know it as his own. Dick couldn’t respond for the moment, absorbed in watching this stranger and trying not to bawl like a baby. The man was dressed strangely, all in black with a bright yellow belt slung with many pouches. A long flowing cape hung from his shoulders, which he removed with a flourish. He walked carefully over to the trembling boy and picked him up, wrapping him in the dark fabric. Dick curls instinctively against the security of his broad chest. The man climbs down the cage’s ladder one handed, holding Dick tight. Once they’re safely back on solid ground he gently put Dick down on his feet. The man seemed uncertain, like he’s lost. He eyed Dick over again to make sure he’s okay then, almost as if he couldn’t think of anything else to do, ruffled his hair. The familiar gesture recalled memories of his mother’s kindness and the smell of her hair, and Dick finally broke down into tears.

The man dropped down to his knees and put his large hands on Dick’s shoulders, making soothing noises. “It’s alright, you’re safe now.”

It took Dick minutes to stem his tears, and when he finally did the man looked relieved. “It’s alright. You need to be more careful, Dick.”

Dick sniffed loudly. “How... how do you know my name?”

The man looked pensive. “I,” the vowel dissolved into a long sigh. “I think I remember now.” His eyes were a startling blue, clear like a still pool of water.

Dick frowned at him, but the man smiled and affectionately clasped Dick’s shoulders. “I remember now. You _really_ should be more careful. I have to go.”

“Go where?” Dick asks as he wiped the tears off his cheeks, near death experience rapidly fading.

“Home,” the man said simply, and the sky above swirled into darkness again.  
Dick looked up, the red-black sun now a familiar vision. “Hey, it’s doing that thing again.” But when he looked back down the man was gone.

Home.


End file.
